Cathedrals will “Ring out for Climate’ this Saturday, joining the international call to ring their bells ahead of the start of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Canterbury, Guildford, Chichester and Worcester have all confirmed they will be ringing with Worcester announcing its famous Bourdon Bell will toll for 30 minutes from 5pm on Saturday (5 November)
A spokesperson for Worcester Cathedral said:
“We are proud to once again sound our Bourdon Bell in warning and solidarity in support of climate justice.”
Last year over 1,000 parishes in the UK came together to ring out their warnings on the eve of COP 26 which last year was held in Glasgow – as well as a number of church bells across the US, Canada and Australia.
In many parishes, the bells became the focal point of community engagement. There were vigils with prayers, songs, poems, candles and banners as the bells rang. ‘Ring out for Climate!’ enabled families and communities to express their hopes, fears and concerns about environmental crises.
Edward Gildea, Volunteer Christian Aid Climate Action Organiser, started the initiative last year and said:
“It is that sense of communities finding their voice that I am trying to encourage particularly this year. I am also trying to increase the global reach of the event.’
This year he has written to over 100 Episcopalian bishops in the USA and all the Anglican bishops in Australia, both of which continents have suffered so terribly this year with climate change
He said:
“With key UN reports published in the last few days warning that there is no longer a ‘credible pathway to 1.5C’ and with greenhouse gas emissions higher than ever, there can be no doubt now about the urgency of the crisis and what our role as people of all faiths and none should be to address it.”
COP 27 starts on Monday 7th November.
Church bells are expected to ring out on Saturday 5th November at around 5pm.
Photo credit – Worcester Cathedral
